This invention relates to a method for fixing a molding along the edge of a glass plate such as in the windshield or rear window of an automobile, for example, and to a device to be used for fixing the molding by the method. In the case of an automobile, it has been customary to form the windshield or rear window in the automobile body by a method which comprises pressing a stepped portion along the edge of a window frame, forming an adhesive layer along the peripheral area of the bottom face of the stepped portion and fastening a glass plate through the medium of the adhesive layer to the stepped portion. In this case, a molding is set along the edge of the glass plate to conceal the unsightly opening between the edge of the glass plate and the lateral face of the stepped portion for the purpose of ensuring a good appearance. There has heretofore been suggested a method whereby clips serving to keep the molding in fast engagement with the opening are supported and fixed in position by means of T-shaped studs which are fixed such as by welding to the edge or lateral face of the stepped portion. This method, however, is not advantageous because it entails the problems of greater cost and susceptibility to rusting due to the work of welding.
With a view to eliminating the various disadvantages suffered by the conventional methods for the fixation of moldings, the inventors have invented improved molding pins and have filed the inventions for U.S. patents under Ser. No. 799,863 under date of May 23, 1977, now abandoned and Ser. No. 844,015 under date of Oct. 20, 1977. With the conventional molding chips including those developed by the inventors, if the size of the glass plate and that of the stepped portion are constant, it is difficult to have the edge of the glass plate fastened to the lateral face of the stepped portion uniformly at a prescribed interval throughout the entire length of the lateral face and it is, additionally, difficult to uniformize the thickness of the adhesive layer throughout the entire length of the stepped portion. Consequently, there are inevitably involved errors, i.e. an error due to possible loss of the uniformity of the fastening of the glass plate within the stepped portion and an error in the vertical position of the glass plate from the bottom face of the stepped portion due to a possible variation in the thickness of the adhesive layer to be formed in the stepped portion. Since the conventional clips are invariably incapable of absorbing such errors, the interposed opening may be too wide at some parts for the molding to preclude unwanted play and too narrow at other parts for the molding to be easily set in position. To overcome this drawback, there have been suggested molding clips of a construction as disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Application No. 119051/1975 (Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 32824/1977). The molding clips permit the molding to be fastened to the opening notwithstanding the errors by a procedure of attaching receiving pieces at required positions on the molding, fixing the clips along the edge of the glass plate at positions opposed to the positions at which the receiving pieces are attached, causing the receiving pieces to slide under pressing pieces provided on the clips until the outer edge of the molding comes into colliding contact with the lateral face of the stepped portion for thereby causing the pressing pieces of the clips to press the receiving pieces onto the edge of the glass and bringing the molding into a fixed state.
According to this particular prior art, the desired fixation of the molding cannot be accomplished unless the positions at which the receiving pieces are attached to the molding and the positions at which the corresponding clips are fixed along the edge of the glass plate are thoroughly in agreement. The work of bringing those positions into exact agreement, however, calls for much time and labor. Moreover, since the fixation of the molding by this method is effected by causing the receiving pieces to move on the glass plate and slide under the pressing pieces of the clips, the efficiency of the fixed operation using the clips is much inferior to the conventional method whereby the fixation of the molding is accomplished by pressing the molding into snapping engagement with the opening. This difficulty stands out all the more because the glass plate used in the windshield or rear window of an automobile is generally curved and the molding used therefor must be curved in conformity therewith, because the molding is not straight but curved and, therefore, cannot easily be moved uniformly on the curved glass plate throughout the entire length thereof and because the work of fixing the molding cannot be performed while simultaneously keeping an eye on accurate positional correspondence between the receiving pieces and the clips.
When the glass plate in the windshield or rear window of an automobile is broken or cracked or the molding is injured or dented, it becomes necessary to replace the glass plate or molding. To permit the replacement, therefore, the molding must be detachable. The prior art described above has not given any thought to the detachability of the molding and, therefore, renders the required replacement of glass plate or molding difficult.
An object of this invention is to provide a method and device for fixing a molding, whereby the molding is detachably fixed in position easily by merely causing the molding to be inserted downwardly into position without necessitating any positional adjustment of the clips and without reference to possible errors arising in the attachment of the glass plate to the edge of the window frame.